Method for preparing cutout masks for use in taking composite motion pictures



Aug. 3, 1954 2,685,223

A. P. DUF'OUR METHOD FOR PREPARING CUTOUT MASKS FOR USE IN TAKING COMPOSITE MOTION PICTURES Filed Nov. 6, 1950 y: M'W

A'Hormzy Patented Aug. 3, 1954 METHOD FOR PREPARING CUTOUT MASKS FOR USE IN TAKING COMPOSITE MOTION PICTURES Achille Pierre Dufour, Paris, France, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Vistascope, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 6, 1950, Serial No. 194,249

Claims priority, application France December 13, 1949 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in the methods for preparing cut out masks for use in taking composite motion pictures, by the process in which the objective of an auxiliary optical device forms a real image of the actors and of the background in the plane of a fiat cut-out mask defining a foreground configuration, the combination of said mask and said real image constituting the object with respect to the lens of the camera, as described in applicants Patent is not integral but is made up of photographic and/or graphic elements assembled together by means of an adhesive so as to produce the more or less fanciful scenery conceived by the decorator. This assembling is carried out in the Workroom of the decorator, who has frequently to adjust or touch up the mask in the studio or on the site where the pictures are to be recorded, either because the mask improperly conceals a portion of the background which should be visible in the film, or conversely because it reveals a detail of the studio equipment or a part of the background which should not appear in the film, or because the whole combines or harmonizes badly.

larger, the degree of enlargement of which is so adjusted that the enlarged image of the reference record (hereinafter called reference enlargement) can register with the image of the same object as would be obtained by means of the objective of the Simplifilm apparatus, in the plane of the mask.

3. The mask is cut out or made up of assembled elements over said reference enlargement.

It will be readily understood that since the No. 2,488,177, issued November 16, 1949. For the m decorator has now at his disposal, for devising sake of clearness, said optical device will be herethe mask, an enlargement of the reference record inafter called by its commercial name, the Simon the same scale as the mask and displaying the plifilm. details of the studio or the site, he can readily In carrying out said method, the mask condelineate, compose or assemble the mask and sists of a drawing or a photographic picture on effect on the paper the necessary adjustments so an opaque support, suitably cut out to leave as to build up a harmonious assembly, in the best transparent portions through Which a portion of n t o s Of Easiness, p y, Convenience, the image of the actors and background is viseconomy and c fi ible from the camera. In most cases, this mask 00 For an easy adjustment of the enlarger, several Ways are possible:

According to a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, the procedure is as follows:

(a) With the aid of the portable photographic camera above referred to, a photograph is taken of any suitable object. This photograph, printed on a transparent support, will be hereinafter called a comparison record.

(b) The comparison record is introduced into the slide of the enlarger so as to obtain, for

example on paper, an enlargement, hereinafter called gauge enlargement, the degree of enlargement being such that the gauge enlargement can register with the image of the same This adjustment in the studio or on the site obje t, as o tained th u h th au l ary ns of represents a loss of time and money, which may the Simplifilm apparatus in the plane of the sometimes be considerable, and it is an object of mask. The enlarger is then looked in this posithe invention to provide a method which enables tion of adjustment. the decorator to prepare the assembly in his As a modification, these two operations may be workroom under conditions such that the mask replaced by the following ones: thus produced does not require any subsequent (a A photo-sensitive element (for example, improvement or adjustment, this method making a photographic plate or sensitized paper) is aruse of a very simple auxiliary material. ranged in the mask holder or slide of the Sim- With this object in view, the invention consists plifilm apparatus and any suitable object is phoin the combination of the following operations: tographed on said photosensitive element through 1. By means of a portable photographic camthe auxiliary lens of the Simplifilm apparatus. era the studio, landscape or site Where the actors The record obtained will be hereinafter called will play or which will supply the background gauge record. and the image of which is to be partly concealed (a For the Simplifilm apparatus is subby the mask, is photographed from the exact stituted the p rt bl Dh t graDhi Camera above viewpoint from which the scene is to be filmed for referred to and a photograph is taken of the obthe purpose of obtaining a reduced scale image, ject referred to under a from exactly the same hereinafter called a reference record. view point, for the purpose of obtaining a com- 2'; The reference record on reduced scale is parison record providing an image identical then placed in the slide of a photographic enwith the gauge record except for the size.

(a The comparison record is introduced into the slide of the enlarger, the gauge record is placed on the table thereof, and the enlarger is so adjusted that the enlarged image of the comparison record registers with the gauge record, whereupon the enlarger is locked in this .position of adjustment.

Finally, a third solution consists in using an optical accessory, comprising a converging optical system, the focal length of which is equal to that of the auxiliary lens of the Simplifilm apparatus, disposed above a table situated in the focal plane of said converging optical system, in photographing with the aid of the portable photographic camera above referred to, through said optical system, any suitable gauge drawing disposed on the table, introducing the gauge record thus obtained into the slide of the enlarger and disposing the gauge drawing on the table of the enlarger, adjusting the degree of en- 'largement of the enlarger so that the projection of the gauge-record on the table registers with the gauge drawing, and locking the enlarger in this position of adjustment.

It may occur that the auxiliary lens of the Simplifilm apparatus will not be focused for infinity (when the back-ground is at a finite distance). In this case, the distance from the accessory optical system to the table thereof no longer corresponds to the focal length of the auxiliary lens of the Simplifilm apparatus and the enlargements of the two apparatus will not be strictly equal. This can be remedied by supplying the Simplifilm apparatus with an objective of adjustable focal length, i. e. by forming the same of lens components, the spacing of which can be so adjusted as to obtain a constant enlargement, even if the object, the image of which is to be produced in the plane of the mask, is not strictly at an infinite distance.

In the accompanying drawing, which diagrammatically illustrates different steps in carrying out the method according to the invention:

Fig. l is a diagram of the Simplifilm appai'atus.

Fig. 2 shows the hand camera for making the comparison record.

Fig. 3 shows the comparison record.

Fig. 4 illustrates the adjustment of the enlarger.

Fig.

Fig. scale. Fig. 7 shows the reference enlargement.

Fig. 8 shows to enlarged scale the reference enlargement and the parts of the background to be concealed by the mask Fig. 9 shows the mask placed on the reference enlargement.

Fig. 10 illustrates the accessory optical device adapted for adjusting the enlarger, in the position of use, and

Fig. 11 shows the gauge record obtained with the device of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawing, I is the Simplifilm apparatus, consisting of a box having at the rear an aperture adapted to register with the objective of the camera 2, and at the front an objective 3 coaxial with the optical axis of the camera and adapted to form in the plane XX of a flat cut-out mask, located between field condensers 3 and 5, a real image of the background and the actors, the combination of the mask and said real image representing the composite scene 5 shows the gauge enlargement. 6 shows the reference record on reduced 4 of which a motion picture record is to be made by the camera 2.

According to a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, any suitable object is photographed by means of a photographic camera 1 (Fig. 2) for the purpose of obtaining a comparison record B (Fig. 3)

This comparison record B is introduced into the slide 8 of an enlarger 9 (Fig. 4) and a gauge enlargement A is printed on a photosensitive element placed on the table H] of said enlarger, the latter being so adjusted that the gauge enlargement will coincide with the image of the same object as obtained through the objective 3 of the Simplifilm apparatus, in the plane of the mask, i. e., in the plane XX of the Simplifilm apparatus shown in Fig. l. The enlarger is then looked in this adjusted position.

This preparatory operation once carried out, the studio or open air site where the film is to be taken, and the image of which is to be partly concealed by the mask, is photographed by means of camera i, from exactly the view point from which the scene is to be filmed, so as to obtain a reference record C on reduced scale (Fig. 6). By means of the enlarger 9, adjusted in the manner above explained, said reference record is enlarged, thus giving a reference enlargement D (Fig. '7), which serves as a guide for making the mask, on a scale equal to that of said mask.

Fig. 8 shows on enlarged scale the composite scene to be filmed, comprising portions of the background appearin in Fig. '7 and, crosshatched, the zones which are to be concealed by the mask. It will be appreciated that it is very easy to delineate, adjust, compose or assemble said mask E (Fig. 9) with the aid of pieces of drawings or photographs in black or in colours, suitably cut out.

Supposing that a structure or scaffolding a has been erected in the studio, to enable an actor to appear through a window I) of a foreground edilice represented by the mask E, this structure should be completely invisible, and it is easy to fulfil this condition in the workroom Where the masks are prepared, without requiring subsequent corrections of the mask. Similarly, if a door 0 existing in the rear wall of the studio is to appear in the film, the mask E will be provided with an opening d, of such size and location that the door 0 shall not be concealed. The same reference enlargement will be very useful for combining two parts of a scenery, one being figurated on the mask and the other belonging to real structures existing in the studio.

According to a modification, a photo-sensitive element A, for example a sheet of sensitized paper, is first placed in the mask holder 6 of the Simplifilm apparatus I and a photograph is made of any suitable object through the Simplifilm objective 3, for the purpose of obtaining agauge record similar to the gauge enlargement represented in Fig. 5.

A portable photographic camera I (Fig. 2) is then substituted for the Simplifilm apparatus and the same object is photographed as before exactly from the same viewpoint, in order to obtain a comparison record B (Fig. 3) exhibiting an image which is identical with the gauge record of Fig. 5, except for the size.

Comparison record B is then inserted into the slide b of the enlarger 9 (Fig. 4), gauge record Ais placed on the table In of the enlarger and the latter is so adjusted that the enlarged image of the comparison record B coincides with gauge record A, whereupon the enlarger is locked in this position of adjustment. The further operations are the same as in the preceding case.

According to a further modification of applicants method, use is made of an accessory device shown in Fig. 10, which comprises a converging optical system II, the focal length of which is equal to that of the objective 3 of the Siinplifilm apparatus, and which is disposed above a table l2, situated in the focal plane of said converging optical system H. To this end, the optical system II is carried by a mounting :3, connected to table l2 by preferably folding arms Hi.

To adjust the enlarger, a photograph is made with the aid of the portable camera i, through the optical system ll, of any suitable gauge drawing F disposed on table 12. The optical system H acts with respect to the objective of camera I as a correcting lens transferring to infinity the object to be photographed (drawing E) In focusing the apparatus 1 at infinity, there is thus obtained a gauge record G (Fig. 11), which is introduced into the slide 8 of the enlarger 9 (Fig. 4), whilst the drawing F is placed on the table 19 of the enlarger; the degree of enlargement of the enlarger is so adjusted that the projection of the gauge record G on to the table i0 registers with the gauge drawin F and the enlarger is locked in this position of adjust- 1 ment. The following sequence of operations is similar to that described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9.

If the background, the image of which is formed in the plane X-X of the Simplifilm apparatus and is represented in Fig. 7, is not at an infinte distance, the objective 3 of the Simplii-ilm must be moved away from plane XX to effect the proper focusing in order to obtain a sharp image in this plane. objective 3 alters the coefficient of enlargement of the image (the real image obtained will be larger than that represented in Fig. 7). However, the spacing between the optical system H and the table [2 of the optical mounting of Fig. 10 is constant, whereby the enlargement thereof is constant, and the exact adjustment of the enlarger 9 (obtained with the aid of the gauge record G and gauge drawing F) and the ratio of enlargement between reference record C and reference enlargement D will be detroyed. This can be remedied by providing the Simplifilm apparatus with an objective 3 having an adjustable focal length, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

For example, this objective may consist of two simple or composite lenses I5 and I6, mounted respectively in two barrels H and 18, one of which is movable axially in relation to the other (for example, one is screwed into the other), the assembly being adjustably mounted in the front wall IQ of the Simplifilm apparatus. Focusing is effected, for example, by the aid of a milled knob 20, controlling a pinion meshing with a rack rigid with the lens holder.

When the background is at a finite but comparatively far distance, as is usually the case, it is possible, instead of varying the distance of the whole objective 3 relatively to plane XX with the aid of knob 20, to leave this distance constant and to obtain a sharp image in the plane XX by slightly modifying the focal length of this objective by varying the spacing of the component lenses l5 and I6 and completing the adjustment, if necessary, by actuation of the knob This displacement of the 20, in such a way that the enlargement of the apparatus thus adjusted will be identical with the enlargement corresponding to focusing at infinity.

It will be seen that the use of the auxiliary camera 7, the enlarger 9 and possibly the optical mounting shown in Fig. 10 does away with the necessity of using, for the preparation of the mask, the Simplifilm apparatus l, which is comparatively heavy and cumbersome and which may not be available at the time required.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a process for preparing cut-out masks for use in taking composite motion pictures by forming, through the objective of an auxiliary optical device associated with a motion picture camera, a real image of actors and of a background in the plane of a cut-out defining a foreground configuration, said mask and said real image constituting the object with respect to the objective of said motion picture camera, the steps which comprise: photographing with an auxiliary photographic camera said background from the same viewpoint as said motion picture camera to obtain a small scale reference record; photographing with said auxiliary photographic camera an object to obtain a comparison record on a transparent support; obtaining through said auxiliary optical device and in said plane of the cut-out mask a photograph of said object; placing said photograph on the table of a photographic enlarger; placing said transparent comparison record in the slide of said enlarger; adjusting the coefficient of enlargement of said enlarger by focusing the latter to obtain on the table thereof from said transparent comparison record a gauge enlargement image coinciding accurately with said photograph; looking said enlarger for said adjusted coefficient of enlargement; replacing said comparison record by said small scale reference record in the slide of said locked enlarger to produce from said small scale reference record in said locked enlarger a photographic reference enlargement of said background; whereby the dimensions of the image of said background on said reference enlargement coincide with the dimensions of the real image of said background formed from said viewpoint through said auxiliary optical device in the said plane of the cutout mask; and cutting a mask to conceal and reveal respective portions of said background produced on said reference enlargement of said background.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,540,213 Hammeras June 2, 1925 1,616,237 Seitz Feb. 1, 1927 1,669,407 Artigue May 15, 1928 1,673,019 Pomeroy June 12, 1928 1,679,942 Newton Aug. 7, 1928 1,727,288 Johnson Sept. 3, 1929 1,955,993 Williams Apr. 24, 1934 2,024,081 Williams Dec. 10, 1935 2,120,586 Whitman June 14, 1938 2,488,177 Dufour Nov. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 593,045 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1947 

